Dubai: Kuldeep Yadav yielded 4-7 to guide champions India to a nine-wicket thrashing of host United Arab Emirates in their first match of the Asia Cup 2025 on Wednesday.
Kuldeep three-wicked an over with his left-arm wrist spin as tournament favourites India bowled out UAE for a meagre 57 in 13.1 overs after opting to field first in the T20 in Dubai.
India romped home to a comfortable victory in 4.3 overs after left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma struck 30 off 16 deliveries and vice-captain Shubman Gill remained unbeaten on 20.
It was, however, the bowlers who laid the platform for the defending T20 World Cup champions to win as medium-pacer Shivam Dube grabbed three before Kuldeep Yadav wrapped up the innings in their Asia Cup 2025 opener.
Sent in to bat, UAE opener Alishan Sharafu began at a brisk pace with boundaries before being dismissed by pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah for 22 off 17 deliveries.
Kuldeep stars as India crush UAE in Asia Cup T20 2025
Skipper Muhammad Waseem made 19 to be the only other player to score double figures in an otherwise disastrous display by the rest of the squad.
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Kuldeep’s three wickets, two of them Waseem, in his second over unsettled the opposition batting that soon disintegrated.
Sharma attacked in reply as he hit left-arm spinner Haider Ali for a six and a four.
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He struck two further sixes during his rampage before he was caught off slower pace bowler Junaid Siddique.
Gill completed the chase with a boundary as skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who remained on seven, watched from the other end.
India had won the last Asia Cup, which was a 50-over one-day competition played in 2023, when they defeated hosts Sri Lanka by beating them in the final in Colombo.
Kuldeep stars as India crush UAE in Asia Cup T20 2025
India will then take on Pakistan on Sunday in the most eagerly-anticipated game of the Asia Cup 2025, which is also an eliminator tournament ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and India.
